The performance of work in pursuit of repair or retrieval of submerged articles encounters numerous obstacles. The article, for example, is submerged in an environment where normal physical movements encounter substantial resistance from the water itself. The depth of the water influences the magnitude of the obstacles though shallow water is frequently more difficult to work in than deeper water due to the presence of surf and current. Also, the article on which the work takes place is frequently partially buried in silt or mud and work thereon encounters additional difficulty due to reduced visibility. Substantial technological efforts have been made toward the accomplishment of the performance of work on objects in relatively deep water through the use of improved diving gear and a wide variety of underwater vehicles. These types of technological improvements however are of little value in the performance of work in shallow waters, particularly waters proximate the shoreline where extreme waves, surf and poor underwater visibility characterize the numerous obstacles encountered in the retrieval of or performance of work on submerged articles. In these areas between the land itself where normal work methods may be performed and the deeper water where more sophisticated technology can be utilized the aformentioned obstacles and numerous other problems have hindered the accomplishment of effective work procedures on such articles as submerged and partially buried pipelines, small vessels, and lost equipment.
The apparatus of the present invention and the method described hereafter with respect thereto has found useful application in the retrieval of objects and the performance of repair procedures on objects in the mid-surf area and in relatively shallow depths, and although it is foreseen that the apparatus described herein can be varied in size to accomplish the work on objects which are the subject hereof, it is contemplated that optimal usage occurs in water depths of up to 20 feet. The apparatus and method is particularly applicable for use in the near surf where the turbulence of wave action and current make the performance of underwater work, both difficult and dangerous, for divers and other repair personnel.